Metal railway-tie.



J. R. ROBINSON 6: J. F. SUGRUE.

METAL'RAILWAY TIE.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 1-1, 1900.

914,077. Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

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JAMES R. ROBINSON AND JOHN F. SUGRUE, OF ENNIS, TEXAS.

a METAL RAILWAY-TIE.

Specification of Letters 'Patent.

Patented March 2, 1909.

Application filed September 11, 1908. Serial No. &52,54.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, dance R. ROBINSON and J OHN F. SUGRUE, citizens of the United States, and both residents of Ennis, in the county of Ellis and State of Texas, have in vented a new and Improved Metal Railway- Tie, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in metal railway ties constructed from one piece of metal and provided with integral clamps for the rails.

The purpose of the invention is to provide for the cheapest possible construction of such a tie, without the sacrifice of strength, and to render the tie more or less yielding between the rails, the material cut away in the side flanges to accomplish such a result, being utilized as stays or braces.

It is a further purpose of the invention to locate and lock braces immediately under the rails, in such manner as to strengthen the tie, and also to so sink the braces into the ballast as to hold the rails absolutely in alinement. The braces are so placed as to avoid any possibility of water getting into the incisions in ballast made by the brace and causing the track to churn.

It is a further purpose of the invention to construct a metal tie wherein no bolts are reuired, and wherein the side flanges are inc ined downward and outward in opposite directions, affording a maximum bearing surface on the ballast and wherein by cutting the side flanges .away at the central portion of the tie, such elasticity is given to the track as to absolutely prevent it from becoming center bounc The invention consists in a device of this character comprising a metal tie made from one piece of metal, having outwardly flaring side members, the tie being more or less yielding at its center, and provided with inte gral clamps for the rails and braces immediately below the rails, secured to the tie in such manner as to preclude the use of bolts and nuts.

The invention also contemplates novel features of construction and combination and arrangements of parts, whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device is rendered simpler and less expensive and otherwise better adapted and more convenient for use, as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in the claims.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the improved tie and a section through rails laid thereon; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the tie and a portion of a rail clamped thereon; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section taken practically on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

The tie is constructed from one rectangular iece of metal, and comprises a flat top section 10 and side flanges 11 that extend downward from the top section 10, flaring outwardly or inclining downwardly in opposite directions. The flanges 11 are cut away at their central portions to produce recesses 12, whereby without materially weakening the tie, sufiicient elasticity is afforded between the rails A, supported by the tie, to absolutely prevent the track from being center ound. The diverging flanges 11, give the tie a maximum of bearing on the road bed and such purchase upon the ballast as to insure a firm and steady support for the rails. The material removed from the central portion of the flanges 11 is utilized to construct braces 13. The braces extend from one flange 11 to the other adjacent to the ends of the tie and beneath the rails. The material displaced in producing the openings 14 in the top is bent upward at the ends of the openings, forming clamping lugs 15, which when the rails A are placed upon the tie, are forced downward to clam ing engagement with the flanges of the rai s, as is shown in Fig. 1. The clamping lugs may be duplicated if desired.

The braces 13 extend from to to bottom and from flange to flange of the tie and being located immediately beneath and longitudinally of the rails, materially strengthen the tie where the greatest strain occurs. These braces are provided at their ends with lugs 16 and 17, located one above the other, and in the application of the braces the said lugs are passed out through suitable openings in the flanges 11, and said lugs 16 and 17 are then bent in opposite directions to a firm and constant engagement with the outer faces of the flanges of the tie; the angle at which these lugs or clamps enter the sides of the tie causes the strain to be carried on the lower edges of the clam s in addition to the security obtained by ending them over sidewise, as is clearly shown in each of the views in the drawings.

From the foregoing, it will be observed that bolts and nuts are dispensed with, and that the fastening devices employed are not liable to be disturbed by the jar incident to the assing of rolling stock.

H aving thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A metal railway tie having its sides outwardly flared and centrally recessed, a transverse vertical brace at the point crossed by the rail, said brace having lugs at its end, and the sides of the tie being rovided with openings through which pass t 1e lugs.

2. A metal railway tie constructed from one piece of metal, having its sides outwardly and downwardly flared and centrally recessed, clamps stamped from the upper face of the tie underneath the rail which are pressed down on the flange of the rail, and braces connecting the flanges immediately below the rails.

3. The combination of a metal railway tie constructed from one piece of metal, having its sides outwardly and downwardly flared and centrally recessed, being also provided with clamping lugs for the rails, in te ral with the tie and braces located one be ow each rail, vextending from one side of the tie to the other and from top to bottom, and lugs extending from the ends of the braces, which lugs are passed through the sides of the tie, the lugs at each side being bent in opposite directions and brought to clamping engagement with the flaring sides of tie and inclining downward when so bent.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES R. ROBINSO N. J OHN F. SUGRUE.

Witnesses;

F. C. KALLUS, PHELPS TERRY. 

